book club

[JazmenFlowers]

would anyone be interested in starting a book club? is that a lame idea? probably, but I don't care. I've been wanting to read something good for a while and really wanted to be able to discuss it with someone. if no one's interested, that's cool, but I thought I'd at least test the waters.

[skcin]

Oooh, I would do it! :)

[Rickypt]

Count me in. :woohoo:

[danax6]

I'm not sure if I'm able to get everything you guys want to read on this side of the Atlantic. If so, I'm in. :)

[DrummerDeanna]

I would be interested in that!

[GypsySorcerer]

Count me in, Jazzy. :nod: Graduate school completely squelched my love of reading - I need to get back into it.

[trackaghost]

Awesome idea! Like Vanessa says, if I can get it here in the UK then I'm in.

[catinthedark]

i'd be in if i could keep up! i only get to indulge in novels after i've read my three magazines - and one is the new yorker, which is weekly. but i will so try! i love book clubs.

just don't pick "the emperor's children." because?

it BITES.

ugh. 7 hours on a plane home last week. wanted to gouge out my eyes.

[jannieC]

I would, but would it be okay if I only participated in books that appealed to me? With grad school starting in a few days, I will have my hands full with **** I don't want to read.

[JazmenFlowers]

^^^
of course.

when I say "club" I didn't mean to infer that it'd be a closed set. I was more or less looking to see if there was even an interest. anyone can jump on or drop out whenever. :)

now...for book recommendations so that we can all decide on the first book.

any suggestions?

[camchristo]

I'm in, I love to read. I always have a book going. What kind of book is everyone interested in reading? I have an author I really enjoy, but I'm not sure what everyone is looking for. Her name is Jodi Picoult. She writes fiction on serious topics. The last one I read was about a high school shooting. Her characters are really well developed and I think her topics are good for conversation and differing viewpoints. Just a thought, let me know what you think.

[sara1998]

I would love to do it. So not a lame idea, but I dont' have time to read anything not related to algebra at the moment... :rolleyes:

[skcin]

Definitely fiction please. At least for the first pick. I don't know how we should choose - should we check the best seller lists & see if anything sounds interesting, then have a vote? If one of us has read it already, we could either reread or just wait until others are finished with the book & start discussing....

[JazmenFlowers]

^^^
I agree.

here's the Top 10.

1. Water for Elephants
By Gruen, Sara
An indie fave about a traveling circus comes to paperback. The 2007 Book Sense Book of the Year Fiction Winner.

2. The Kite Runner
By Hosseini, Khaled
A Book Sense Pick, now in paperback. A stunning, enlightening novel of friendship and Afghan culture and politics.

3. Suite Francaise
By Nemirovsky, Irene
Paris under the Germans, by an author exterminated at Auschwitz. A bestseller in hardcover too.

4. The Road
By Cormac McCarthy
A barren, post-apocalyptic landscape is the foreground, and background, for this Pulitzer Prize-winning Book Sense Book of the Year Honor Book and Oprah Book Club choice.

5. The Emperor's Children
By Messud, Claire
Stellar reviews accompanied this post-9/11 comedy of manners. A Book Sense (hardcover) Pick.

6. The Memory Keeper's Daughter
By Edwards, Kim
A tragic snap-decision about a handicapped baby, played out among the affected.

7. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
By See, Lisa
A #1 Book Sense Pick in hardcover, set in 19th-century rural China.

8. Middlesex
By Eugenides, Jeffrey
First a Book Sense Pick, then the Pulitzer Prize winner, now an Oprah choice.

9. The Inheritance of Loss
By Desai, Kiran
A rich Book Sense Notable and winner of the Man Booker Prize. Set in India on the eve of the Nepalese movement for an independent state.

10. The Alchemist (Updated)
By Coelho, Paulo
A boy's journey and metamorphosis, with new bonus material.

my personal suggestions were going to be Beloved by Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, something by Anne Rice, The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards, or Delta Wedding by Eudora Welty

[carrie721]

^ i would love to read some welty.

also, out of that top 10 list, i've been meaning to pick up water for elephants.

[skcin]

^^^
I agree.

here's the Top 10.

1. Water for Elephants
By Gruen, Sara
An indie fave about a traveling circus comes to paperback. The 2007 Book Sense Book of the Year Fiction Winner.

2. The Kite Runner
By Hosseini, Khaled
A Book Sense Pick, now in paperback. A stunning, enlightening novel of friendship and Afghan culture and politics.

3. Suite Francaise
By Nemirovsky, Irene
Paris under the Germans, by an author exterminated at Auschwitz. A bestseller in hardcover too.

4. The Road
By Cormac McCarthy
A barren, post-apocalyptic landscape is the foreground, and background, for this Pulitzer Prize-winning Book Sense Book of the Year Honor Book and Oprah Book Club choice.

5. The Emperor's Children
By Messud, Claire
Stellar reviews accompanied this post-9/11 comedy of manners. A Book Sense (hardcover) Pick.

6. The Memory Keeper's Daughter
By Edwards, Kim
A tragic snap-decision about a handicapped baby, played out among the affected.

7. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
By See, Lisa
A #1 Book Sense Pick in hardcover, set in 19th-century rural China.

8. Middlesex
By Eugenides, Jeffrey
First a Book Sense Pick, then the Pulitzer Prize winner, now an Oprah choice.

9. The Inheritance of Loss
By Desai, Kiran
A rich Book Sense Notable and winner of the Man Booker Prize. Set in India on the eve of the Nepalese movement for an independent state.

10. The Alchemist (Updated)
By Coelho, Paulo
A boy's journey and metamorphosis, with new bonus material.

my personal suggestions were going to be Beloved by Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, something by Anne Rice, The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards, or Delta Wedding by Eudora Welty


I've read the bolded titles - not that it matters, I'd be willing to reread & participate in the discussion. I tried to read Their Eyes Were Watching God, but only got halfway through it. I could give it another go. And Delta Wedding sounds good - since Carrie's also interested, perhaps that should be our first pick? Y/N?

[JazmenFlowers]

^^^
sounds good to me. since I am from the Delta...I really should have read this a long time ago. my Welty and Faulkner excursions are few and far between, embarassing as it is to say.

[danax6]

I received The Speed of Light by Elizabeth Rosner and The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold for my birthday, so those two I have at hand. They were both on the National Bestseller list at one point. Anything from the current list is fine by me as long as I can order them here in the Netherlands or download them from somewhere. I quickly checked and it looks like I can order most of it, though they are quite pricy. The thing about these books is that they aren't available at the library, mostly because they are too recent.

[JazmenFlowers]

^^^
oh, I heard The Lovely Bones was a good read.

[GypsySorcerer]

^^^
oh, I heard The Lovely Bones was a good read.

The Lovely Bones is a good, fast read. :nod:

As for recommendations go, I'm going to suggest anything by Ian McEwan. I read Enduring Love in college, and I've always wanted to read more of his work.

[danax6]

^^^
oh, I heard The Lovely Bones was a good read.So did I. I got it from my best friend, and I trust her judgment.

I just checked and I can get Delta Wedding, but it's expensive. I can get it for 10 cents on Ebay. :p

[jannieC]

^^^
oh, I heard The Lovely Bones was a good read.

I would love to do this book- it's one of my alltime favorites and I've always wanted to talk about it with other people.

[camchristo]

The Lovely Bones is a fantastic book and great for discussion. I've read it but I still have it at home so I can review and participate in the discussion.

[JazmenFlowers]

ok, so The Lovely Bones is getting a good reception. looks like it's the front-runner. anyone want to make an argument for another book instead?

[michelle2677]

funny. I'm reading a book about a book club :lol: except it's a trashy novel :laugh:


anyway, I'm in, but I might skip the first round since i'm already in the middle of a book. It'll depend on when you guys get this thing off the ground.

great idea, jazzy.

[carrie721]

ok, so The Lovely Bones is getting a good reception. looks like it's the front-runner. anyone want to make an argument for another book instead?

i'm all for the lovely bones! i read half of it in canada but it was lisa's copy so i had to leave it there.

[Rickypt]

I've been wanting to read Lovely Bones for quite some time.

[equeen102289]

I don't have time for a book club online, though I wish I did. School's getting ready to start and my schedule is full! But I do want to give some recommendations:

The Lovely Bones is a must. I hope you guys choose that one to read first.
Also,
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
The Kite Runner by Khaled Housseni
The Center of Everything (forget author)
Beloved by Toni Morrison
White Oleander by Janet Finch
The Bean Trees by (oh I forget her name, she also wrote the Poisonwood Bible)

[skcin]

^ Barbara Kingsolver wrote the Poisonwood Bible. She's fantastic. :nod: I don't think I've read The Bean Trees.



I've read The Lovely Bones, but it's been a while so I'll read it again. Let's do it!

And poor Michelle, can't read 2 books at once. :distress: It's toooooooo hard!



:laugh:



BTW - where's Dee? I would think she'd love to do something like this. :shrug: Busy with love & stuff, I'll bet. ;)

[#1LiddyBuckFan]

The Kite Runner is FANTASTIC. Y'all should definitely read it!! :thumbsup:

[danax6]

I'm all for The Lovely Bones. At least I don't have to spend my precious euros on another book yet. :wavey:

[JazmenFlowers]

ok, The Lovely Bones it is.

[skcin]

I'm all for The Lovely Bones. At least I don't have to spend my precious euros on another book yet. :wavey:

OK! We get it! :mad: Books are more expensive there! What do you want, donations? Are all Dutch as cheap as you? Jeez! Maybe you shouldn't be a part of this club, Vanessa, it's obvious you'd rather spend your money on dope or booze. :distress:


















:laugh:

[danax6]

OK! We get it! :mad: Books are more expensive there! What do you want, donations? Are all Dutch as cheap as you? Jeez! Maybe you shouldn't be a part of this club, Vanessa, it's obvious you'd rather spend your money on dope or booze. :distress:


















:laugh:F*cking christ, Paula, English books are all over twenty bucks here. I wouldn't complain so much if they were all available at my local library, but they're not. I don't read no freaky, deaky, Dutch books. :mad:

[JazmenFlowers]

le sigh.

infighting already. :distress:



:laugh:

[skcin]

F*cking christ, Paula, English books are all over twenty bucks here. I wouldn't complain so much if they were all available at my local library, but they're not. I don't read no freaky, deaky, Dutch books. :mad:

That's it. :wavey: You're out of the club. BANNED.


I gotta go, I'm off to the library. :cool:

[danax6]

That's it. :wavey: You're out of the club. BANNED.
channeling Ross Geller.... "Fine by me!" :mad:

[JazmenFlowers]

um, well, this ****ing figures. I just bought this book off ebooks.com, not realizing YOU CAN'T PRINT IT!!!1111:mad:

so, now I am forced to read this, when I can, on my computer, AT WORK!@ unless, I want to buy another copy.

anyone know any way around this? it's .pdf, but the print option is gone. :lol:

[danax6]

^
You can usually copy/paste from .pdf to a Word document. No?

[JazmenFlowers]

^
You can usually copy/paste from .pdf to a Word document. No?
will try. thanks!

[gypsysoul]

Jazmen, I'd love to join your club. not only am I an avid reader but I've also just written a book which may become a film (we're workingon that right now).

I've read the Lovely Bones and I think I'll be in a minority when I say I did not like it:(

I'll recommed other books later but 2 which come immediatly to mind are:

The way the crow flies by Anne Marie Macdonald - Canadian writer. Oe of the most best most moving and utterly heartbreaking books I've ever read. I can't praise it enough.

Also, a more obvious choice - The shadow of the wind.

[gypsysoul]

Oh - as booklovers some of you might be interested in this piece about Norman Mailer on my site
http://www.assetsworld.com/?p=370

[jannieC]

Yay Lovely Bones! Jason, it's SUCH a quick read- hopefully you've been able to open it into a Word document. Otherwise, let me know and I will send you my book.

[RavenOfRhiannon]

Count me in. I have been wanting to read The Lovely Bones for a long time.

(My suggestion for the next pick is The Time Traveler's Wife)

[eclipse]

Ok you all have convinced me-
I'm in...
I shall have to pick up a copy on the "Bones" book- I have a gift certificate to Barnes and Noble so that should help. You know with school starting again and all the rest of my stuff that I have going on, in my very busy world...I will honestly attempt to fit it in.

I know the rest of you do nothing else with your life but eat bon bon's, sit on the couch with your feet up on the coffee table, post notes on the Ledge and listen to tunes!!! hahaha :p

Mostly I will join, because a club among this group of people sounds like fun!! It should be interesting to say the least, forget about about the book- I mean the "club"-Great idea Jazzy!!!!
So Bones will be the first-sounds good...

I was going to suggest "Goodnight Moon", so we started with something a little more basic.........:D .but Bones it is ....

[jannieC]

(My suggestion for the next pick is The Time Traveler's Wife)

Oh, I read that book several years ago and LOVED it. :nod:

[JazmenFlowers]

Yay Lovely Bones! Jason, it's SUCH a quick read- hopefully you've been able to open it into a Word document. Otherwise, let me know and I will send you my book.
thanks. I'm gonna see if the local library has it since I haven't been able to get the stupid .pdf to work right. if I can't find it, I might borrow yours.

[DrummerDeanna]

Ack! I was on a small trip for work - but Lovely Bones sounds great!

I second Cammie's nomination of Jodi Picoult stuff for later discussions - I've been meaning to check out her stuff -this would give me an excuse.


Ok - so is there some sort of timeline...like "lets try to have this read by..." ?

Or is it a discuss as we go type thing?

[JazmenFlowers]

^^^
since we've formed the club and decided on a book, I'll close this thread and start a Lovely Bones thread. I say we give everyone until Monday to have the book (I still haven't gotten it) and then we can start discussing. I think it'll be too confusing to try to prevent all spoilers so I'm leaning towards discussing without setting any deadlines and each will just have to be smart enough to know when to stop reading the thread in case there's a spoiler somewhere and be mindful if it is apparent that someone isn't as far along as you are. I, for one, am not too concerned about spoilers, with the exception of the ending. I mean, what if we're 4 pages into and have something to discuss or ask, but can't because not everyone's gotten there. you see what I mean?

-or-

we could say Read Chapters 1-5 by ____ and then begin discussions

-or-

complete the book by _____ and then begin discussions.

which way sounds better?

[kathy1]

jazmen what kind of books are in your book club?

[JazmenFlowers]

jazmen what kind of books are in your book club?
re-read the first couple pages of this thread.

[kathy1]

thanks jazmen.

[DrummerDeanna]

^^^
since we've formed the club and decided on a book, I'll close this thread and start a Lovely Bones thread. I say we give everyone until Monday to have the book (I still haven't gotten it) and then we can start discussing. I think it'll be too confusing to try to prevent all spoilers so I'm leaning towards discussing without setting any deadlines and each will just have to be smart enough to know when to stop reading the thread in case there's a spoiler somewhere and be mindful if it is apparent that someone isn't as far along as you are. I, for one, am not too concerned about spoilers, with the exception of the ending. I mean, what if we're 4 pages into and have something to discuss or ask, but can't because not everyone's gotten there. you see what I mean?

-or-

we could say Read Chapters 1-5 by ____ and then begin discussions

-or-

complete the book by _____ and then begin discussions.

which way sounds better?


I think a chapter limit would be good - like the discussions of 1-5 or whatever - and I think we'll all be able to be pretty good about figuring out where we all are...

Any way works for me though - since this is a trial run you could just start the thread and see what happens...:D

[Rickypt]

I am a very slow reader. Hopefully I'll be able to keep up with y'all. :o

[skcin]

I've read the Lovely Bones and I think I'll be in a minority when I say I did not like it:(



I think this is good, actually. It would be dull if everyone was like "i like this chapter a lot." Good for discussion/conversation.

I am a very slow reader. Hopefully I'll be able to keep up with y'all. :o

Forget it. :mad: You're out too. Go & start your own club with that poor Dutch broad.

:D


I don't know how we should do it. We definitely shouldn't wait until everyone's done, that will obviously vary greatly. I just don't people to etierh feel rushed, or for them to get impatient/annoyed while waiting for others.

What if we started out our posts with what page or chapter we're on? This way if someone doesn't want to know anything ahead of time, they'll know not to read your post until they're at that point? You wouldn't have to mark every post, but maybe your first post of the day in the thread?

[trackaghost]

I know I could read back but did we decide on a book?
I've only read Snow Flower And The Secret Fan from that bestsellers list.

[carrie721]

I know I could read back but did we decide on a book?
I've only read Snow Flower And The Secret Fan from that bestsellers list.

i think we're going to start with the lovely bones.

[danax6]

Forget it. :mad: You're out too. Go & start your own club with that poor Dutch broad.Ryan and Vanessa, sitting in a tree...

[carrie721]

Ryan and Vanessa, sitting in a tree...

doing what? getting mani/pedis?

[danax6]

doing what? getting mani/pedis?Haven't decided on that yet. I'll get back to ya. :cool:

[Rickypt]

Ryan and Vanessa, sitting in a tree...


.....reading our Lovely Bones cliff notes :nod:

[GypsySorcerer]

.....reading our Lovely Bones cliff notes :nod:

Or y'all could just wait for the movie. :p Seriously, they're making one. :cool:

[eclipse]

I need longer than Monday to get the book Jazz, I am ordering it from Barnes-Nobles on line- So I am not sure when I will receive it.

I also agree with the chapter 1-5 ideas, then people will know not to write thier opinions until they are done the 5th chapter...and we can continue to do 5 chapters at a time. If someone reads them in a day- they can post their impressions, but if it takes someone else a week, they can go back to the thread and also add their 2 cents. I think that makes sense.
I have no idea of how long the book is..... (honestly, I have had the summer off from school and have not read one book) So, I haven't even heard about this book-completely clueless.....So that should be good, I will have no idea what to expect.
Looking forward to this club though...

[skcin]

My mom lost the copy I had, so I'll try to get it from the library today or tomorrow.

[danax6]

I got to chapter 3 last night. Will a new thread be started on this, or are we discussing in this one?

[JazmenFlowers]

I got to chapter 3 last night. Will a new thread be started on this, or are we discussing in this one?
I'm about to close this thread and start a new one.

I'm in the middle of Chapter 3.